Electric switch



E. GfKERMODE.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-10, I916.

i 1 Patented Jflll. 25, 1921,.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1-.-

E. G. KERMODE.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 10, ms.

Patented Jan. 25,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

switch contacts and fuse terminals.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELMER Gr. KERMODE, 0F CLEVELAND, QHIQ.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER G. KERMODE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cleveland, in thecounty of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electric Switches, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to electric switches and particularly to a switchhaving combined therewith a fuse compartment for one or more fuses.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a constructionincluding a compartment for the fuses which is adjacent but separate anddistinct from the switch compartment, and wherein the fuses areaccessible, and also stationary and therefore separate from the movableswitch member, but nevertheless directly connected to the contacts ofthe switch without requiring long connecting conductors between theAdditionally the invention aims to provide a switch having thecharacteristics above stated, and which is so constructed that it issubstantially proof against theft of current, and which is safe in therespect that access cannot be had to live parts of the switch, and atthe same time the switch cannot be fused or access had to the fusecompartment unless the switch is in open position, while closure of theswitch is prevented unless the fuse compartment is first closed andlocked.

The above and additional objects are attained by this invention whichmay be briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel details ofconstruction and combin a-. tions and arrangements of parts which Wlllbe described in the specification and set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings wherein I have shown" thepreferred form of my invention, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectionalview through the switch with the switch open, and with the cover or boxof the fuse compartment shown in closed position by full lines, and inopen position by dotted lines; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the samewith the cover of the switch box removed; Fig.3 is a similar view withthe cover in position; Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view through theswitch; and Fig. 5 is a partial longitudinal sectional view showing -aslight modification in the con:

struction of the cover.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jan, 25, 1921 ApplicationfiledOctober 10, 1916.

Serial No. 124,789.

The switch includes a switch box 10, which is rectangular in contour andis preferably formed of metal. This box is provided wit-h a cover 10which may be secured to the body of the box in any suitable manner, butin this case by pins or rods 11 which extend lengthwise of the box alongthe sides thereof, and pass through openings in the ends of the box andin flanges which extend downwardly from the cover. pins are providedwith openings through which the wire seals may be passed. I wish to beunderstood, however, that any other means for locking and sealing thecover 10 to the box may be employed.

The stationary contacts of the switch include lower contacts which aresupported by the bottom of the box, and upper contacts which aresupported by the cover. I prefer that there be four stationary contactsfor each pole of the switch, arranged in two pairs so as to provide aswitch of the fourbreak type. I prefer also that the switch have atleast two poles as illustrated in the drawings.

The lower contacts are secured to a plate 12 of insulating materialwhich is secured to the bottom of the box 10. These contacts which areof the form of spring clips are shown at 13. Two of such clips areprovided for each pole, they being spaced a suitable distance apart onein advance of the other, and the two for one pole being spaced laterallya proper distance from the two for the other pole. It will be understoodof course that my invention may be embodied in either a single poleswitch or a switch of more than two poles. The forward clips 13 areprovided with binding posts 14 to which service conductors are designedto be connected, and the rear clips 13 are provided with binding posts15 to which the load conductors are designed to be connected. Theconductors will extend into and from the The I switch box throughopenings which may be part of the cover, the cover proper having thecover 10 of the switch box This plate 1 17 of insulating material ineffect constitutes;

a an opening which is at all times closed by this plate 17. The plate 17and cover proper tute the entire cover of the switch box as shown inFig. 5, in which event the-metal part 10 shown in Fig. l is eliminated.This insulating cover plate 17 which may be formed of any approvedinsulating material, such as slate, marble, and the like, will besecured to the body of the switch box and sealed thereto so that itcannot be removed except by one authorized to do so. In this case theupper marginal part of the box is shown as provided with a lateralflange 17 on which the marginal portions of the plate 17 rest, and-towhich the plate may be secured. The other portions of the switch shownon this figure are precisely like those first described and thereforerequire no further' description.

The upper contacts 16 are provided with terminals 16* which extendupwardly through the plate 17 into the fuse compartment which isseparate and entirely closed from the switch compartment in which allthe switch contacts are located. These terminals which constitute thefuse terminals are designed to' be connected together in pairs by fuseswhich are shown at 18. It will be understood of course, that anysuitable type of fuse may be employed. 4

The fuse compartment is formed by the insulating base or plate 17 and arectangular box19 which is hinged at 19 and is adapted to be swungupwardly to expose the fuses and to be lowered onto the plate 17 so asto form a tight inclosure for-the fuses frpm which no flash can extendto the switch box in the event the fuses are blown. This box may be andpreferably is completely lined with insulating material which is shownat 20. Other features of this fuse compartment, including the manner inwhich it is locked and unlockedgwillbe re ferred to after thedescription of the movable switch member.

The movable switch member includes a carrier 21 in the form of anendwise movable bar or rod which has sliding connection -with the switchbox and has a portion midway between .its ends bent downwardly, and

to this portion is secured two insulating,

cross pieces 22 to which are secured movable bridging contacts 23. Thesecontacts are in the form of switch blades, two of which are provided foreach pole of the switch, and each of which is designed to engage onepair of clips 13, 16, aswill be apparent particularly from Fig. 1, sothat when the switch is closed the circuit is completed through eachpole of the switch from a service conductor connected to a binding post14, through the lower stationary clip 13, blade 23, upper stationaryclip 16, fuse 18, upper stationary clip 16, blade 23, lower stationaryclip 13 and binding post 15 to a load conductor, and when the circuit isbroken by opening the switch the break occurs at fourpoints, as willalso be apparent from Fig. 1. This movable switch member or carrier 21at its forward end which slides just beneath the cover 10, is providedwith a cross piece 24: which extends entirely across the switch box 10and at its, ends slides along shoulders 24, projecting inwardly from theside walls of the switchbox 10. The rear part of the carrier 21 extendsoutwardly from the switch box through an opening provided in the rearend wall of the box, just beneath the cover. The carrier is thuseffectively supported at its front and rear ends at three points.

In order that the switch may be safely fused I provide means wherebyaccess cannot be had to the fuses unless the switch 18 first opened.This includes a rotary locking pin 25 which extends upwardly from thecover and is braced or supported by a bracket 26. The upper part of thispin is provided with a laterally projecting tongue 27 adapted to beswung over the fuse box 19 so as to prevent its being opened, or to beswung to one side so as to permit the opening of the fuse box. The lowerpart of the rotary pin 25 is provided with a locklng tongue 28 whichfits into a narrow slot 29 of the carrier 21 (see Fig. 2). This slot hasa circular enlargement 29 which receives the tongue 28 when the switch1s n full open position.

The arrangement is such that the locklng tongue or finger 27 whichnormally overlies the fuse box cannot be swung to one side so as topermit the fuse box to be opened unless the switch is in full openposition, or until the circular enlargement 29 has been brought up tothe locking tongue 28 of the locking pin 25. And furthermore, after thepin 25 and locking tongue 27 have been swung so as to permit the fusebox to be opened the switch cannot be closed by reason. of thetransverse position of the lower locking tongue 28 until the upperlocking tongue 27 is restored to normal po- Additionally I provide aninterlock between the fuse box and the movable switch member whichinterlock is effective to prevent the closing of the switch when thefuse box is open. This consists in providing on the fuse box a hingemember. 30 having an extension in the form of a tongue normally lyingabove the movable switch member or carrier 21 but arranged so that whenthe fuse box is opened this tongue will enter into a slot in the cover10 and project into the path of movement of the carrier 21 in themannenillustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. In other words, as long asthe fuse box is open the carrier cannot be moved to normal closedposition because of its engagement with the extension of the hinge mem--ber 30, and it is not until the switch box is closed that the hinge ismoved out of the path of the carrier, which can then be moved to closedposition. Before this is done, however, it is necessary that the fusebox be locked closed by turning the tongue 27 over the fuse box asillustrated in Fig. 1, so as to bring the lower locking tongue 28 intoregistration or alinement with the slot 29.

It will be seen therefore, from the above, that the switch combines to avery high degree the features of safety in fusing, compactness,accessibility to the fuses, inaccessibility to live parts, completeseparation of the fuse and switch compartments and a substantial proofagainst theft of current. Additionally the switch is durable, and by itsconstruction is adapted for many specificall different purposes.

hile I have described the preferred con struction, it will be understoodthat the construction of the switch may be modified in its specificdetails without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invenion, what I claim is:

1. A safety reversible switch and fuse comprising a switch box havingseparate switch and fuse compartments, said fuse compartment having ahinged cover and a stationary fuse support, a set of fuse terminalsmounted on said fuse support, a switch in the switch compartmentcomprising two sets of stationary terminals,'the terminals of one setbeing connected to corresponding fuse terminals, the terminals of theother set being constructed for connection to both power and loadline'conductors and a set of movable switch members arranged to make andbreak connection between corresponding terminals of the two sets ofstationary terminals, and an interlock between said cover and movableswitch members by which the opening of the fuse compartment is preventedwhen the switch is closed and the closure of the switch is preventedwhen the fuse compartment is open.

2. A safety reversible .switch and fuse comprising a switch box havingseparate switch and fuse .compartments, said fuse compartment having amovable cover and a stationary fuse support, a set of fuse terminalsmounted on said fuse support, a set of stationary terminals in saidswitch compartment constructed for connection to both lock between thecover and switch by which the opening of the fuse compartment isprevented when the switch is closed and the clo sure of the switch isprevented when the fuse compartment is open.

3. A safety reversible switch and fuse comprising a switch box havingseparate switch and fuse compartments, the switch compartment beingrelatively permanently closed, the fuse compartment having a movablecover and a stationary fuse support, a set of fuse terminals mounted onsaid fuse support, a set of stationary terminals in the switchcompartment for connection to both power and load line conductors, aswitch within the switch compartment arranged when closed to closeconnection between the fuse terminals and corresponding'stationaryterminals and when open to entirely disconnect all fuse terminals fromall said stationary terminals, and an interlock between said cover andswitch by which the opening of the fuse compartment is prevented whenthe switch is closed and the closure of the switch is prevented when thefuse compartment is open.

4. A safety reversible switch and fuse having separate switch and fusecompartments, said fuse compartment having a hinged cover and astationary fuse support, a set of fuse terminals mounted on said fusesupport, a switch in the switch compartment comprising two sets ofstationary terminals, the terminals of one set being connected tocorresponding fuse terminals, the terminals of the other set beingconstructed for connection to both power and load conductors and a setof movable switch members arranged to make and break connection betweencorresponding terminals of the two sets of stationary terminals, and aninterlock between said cover and movable switch members by which theopening of the fuse compartment is prevented when the switch is closedand the closure of the switch is prevented when the fuse compartment isopen.

5. A safety reversible switch and fuse having separate switch and fusecompartments, said fuse compartment having a movable cover and astationary fuse support, a set of fuse terminals mounted on said fusesupport, a set of stationary terminals in said switch compartmentconstructed for connection to both power and load line conductors, aswitch within said switch compartment arranged when closed to connectsaid stationary terminals to the fuse terminals, and when open toentirely disconnect all fuse terminals with all said stationaryterminals,

and an interlock between the cover and switch by which-the opening ofthe fuse compartment is prevented when the switch is closed and theclosure of the switch is prevented when the fuse compartment is open.

6. A safety reversible switch and fuse having separate switch and fusecompart ments, the switch compartment beingrelativelypermanentlyinaccessible, the fuse compartment having a movable cover anda stationary fuse support, a set of fuse terminals mounted on said fusesupport, a set of stationary terminals in the switch compartment forconnection to both power and load line conductors, a switch within theswitch compartment arranged when. closed to close connection between thefuse terminals and corresponding stationary terminals and when open toentirely disconnect all fuse terminals from all said stationaryterminals, and an interlock between 1 ,eceyiee said cover and switch bywhich the opening of the-fuse compartment is prevented when the switchis'closed and the closure of the switch is prevented when the fusecompartment is open.

7. A safety switch comprising a switch box having a stationary fusesupport and a movable cover therefor forming a fuse compartment, fuseterminals mounted on said fuse support. a switch arranged to connect anddisconnect said fuseterminals with both Dower and load conductors, andan interlock between said cover and the switch by which the opening ofthe fuse compartment is prevented when the switch is closed and theclosure of the switch is prevented when the fuse compartment is open.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

X ELMER G. KERMODE.

